Artificial intelligence used to be a concept that wasn’t for the faint of heart. It seemed complex, unnecessary and, frankly, a bit scary. But now, we’re living in a tech-driven age where AI is part of our daily life, whether we want it or not.
While there’s a group that wants it to go far away and never come back, there’s a larger group that dove headfirst into this innovation and continues to stay updated on best practices. That’s the group we’re focusing on today.
According to our recent survey of 127 marketing professionals, we found that nearly 80% use AI regularly. Want to learn who this group is and how they use the tool? Continue reading!
Let’s Meet Our AI Users
We received survey responses from marketing professionals across the globe, spanning a wide range of industries. So, who are these forward-thinking AI adopters? Let’s look at their companies’ locations and sizes, how long they’ve worked in the industry and their primary roles.
As technology rapidly evolves, the United States leads the way in AI adoption. In fact, 83% of our U.S.-based respondents (65 people) claimed that AI is part of their regular routine. The second and third spots go to the United Kingdom at 74% (23 people) and Australia with 72% (11 people).
Our survey isn’t the only research supporting the United States’ dominance in AI usage. According to Tortoise’s Global AI Index, which evaluates AI implementation, innovation and investment across 83 countries, the U.S. ranks first with a score of 100. China follows in second place with a score of 53. The next eight highest scoring nations that Tortoise ranked are all closer to each other, ranging from scores of 33 to 23, with the United Kingdom placed in fourth place. Australia ranks 17th but remains a strong contender compared to many other countries.
When it comes to company size, Brafton’s survey suggests that businesses with 51 to 500 employees are the most likely to have integrated AI into their processes. Here’s a breakdown of AI adoption by workforce size:
- 0 to 20 employees – 79%.
- 21 to 50 employees – 76%.
- 51 to 500 employees – 85%.
- 501+ employees – 72%.
Of the 80% of employees using AI in marketing, mid-level workers with 6 to 10 years of experience use AI the most. The group that uses AI the least? Senior-level employees with 11+ years in the industry.
Here’s how AI adoption breaks down by seniority level:
- Entry level (0 to 2 years) – 80%.
- Intermediate (3 to 5 years) – 80%.
- Mid-level (6 to 10) – 84%.
- Senior (11+ years) – 76%.
Looking at specific job titles, marketing managers and directors lead in AI adoption, with 82.89% using AI as part of their routine. Meanwhile, CEOs and other executives (73.33%) and individual contributors (74.29%) are slightly less likely to use AI regularly.
But it’s not only seniority or title that affects whether respondents use AI or not; their work arrangement is also a big factor. People working remotely in some capacity — either hybrid or fully remote — are more likely to be using it. Hybrid employees rank as the highest users at 82%, whereas remote (80%) and in-person (73%) rank a bit lower.
What Industries See the Most AI Usage?
Any industry could find some value in AI implementation when done strategically. However, some sectors jumped on the AI bandwagon quicker than others.
Let’s take a look at the industries leading the charge in AI implementation, ranked by the percentage of respondents using AI:
- Construction and Architecture – 89%.
- Technology and IT – 88%.
- Education – 86%.
- Professional and Business Services – 86%.
- Finance and Insurance – 83%.
- Marketing and Media – 80%.
- Software and SaaS – 75%.
- Health and Wellness – 67%.
- Manufacturing and Industrial – 64%.
- Nonprofit and Social Services – 63%.
- Agriculture and Food – 50%.
- Beauty and Personal Care – 0%
Notably, industries like construction and architecture, which may not be traditionally associated with AI, are leading in adoption. This is largely due to advancements in AI-driven design, project management automation and predictive analysis for risk assessment. Meanwhile, sectors that rely heavily on data analysis and automation, such as marketing, finance and software, continue to see high AI usage, highlighting its role in streamlining operations and helping with the creative process.
In contrast, sectors like beauty and personal care show little to no AI implementation. This could be due to the hands-on nature of the work, where human touch and personal interaction remain essential. However, we might see more AI use as virtual try-ons, chatbots and personalized skincare recommendations become more common.
The steady increase in AI adoption aligns with past research. Back in 2023, The Conference Board conducted its survey “AI in Marketing and Communications: Boosting Productivity — and Creativity, Too?” in which it found that 87% of marketers and communicators had used AI or experimented with AI tools for at least one application. At the time, 68% of the 287 respondents in marketing and 60% in communications were using AI at least “sometimes” in their daily work. Our findings suggest that AI adoption has only grown, proving that it’s no longer just experimental — it’s becoming normal.
How do Professionals Use AI Regularly?
With 80% of professionals using AI in marketing processes, it’s clearly part of people’s workflows. However, AI adoption presents both opportunities and roadblocks.
According to Salesforce, marketers rank AI adoption as both their No. 1 priority and challenge. There are several reasons for this — while AI is useful, its abilities can only go so far. Human oversight is necessary to ensure accuracy and effectiveness. This fact highlights the importance of marketers’ roles in using creative thinking, problem-solving and proofreading skills to ensure all produced content actually serves the target audience’s needs and engages them effectively.
One Brafton survey respondent put it like this: “As a marketer who primarily came from a graphic design background and fell into my current position, utilizing AI has helped me fill the gaps in knowledge and some skills when it comes to marketing for a large company. While my trust in AI has some holes, which require an in-depth overview of all generated content, I believe that the future of AI does seem positive if viewed from a tool’s perspective.”
This sentiment is widely shared by professionals. Many users believe AI isn’t here to steal their roles but make them easier. Another respondent explained: “Assistive AI has already been used for years in marketing — think Grammarly, chatbots, etc. I think the new version of AI is generative AI. It’s just another tool for marketing.”
Generative AI (gen AI) is a popular, powerful resource that many professionals reach for to help them create new content, ideas and data. According to Microsoft, 75% of employees use gen AI in their daily work (more than double the percentage it saw just a few months before). Of those workers, 78% reported they adopted the tools independently without employers pushing them to.
Whether it’s gen AI or another resource, AI capabilities will continue to advance. Professionals are finding new ways to integrate these tools into their work, unlocking efficiencies while maintaining a critical eye on AI-generated outputs.
The Conference Board found that the top AI applications by marketers included the following tasks:
- Summarizing content – 44%.
- Doing the legwork/inspiring thinking – 41%.
- Personalizing customer/user content – 33%.
- Conducting research – 30%.
- Producing content faster – 30%.
- Improving customer service – 17%.
That same survey found that professionals in the communication industry use AI for:
- Summarizing content – 41%.
- Doing the legwork/inspiring thinking – 35%.
- Producing content faster – 28%.
- Conducting research – 26%.
- Writing press releases – 17%.
- Writing speeches – 14%.
Final Takeaways
Let’s do a little recap of what we learned from our survey about who uses AI in marketing:
- 80% of respondents said they use AI.
- The U.S. is leading the AI charge, but the UK and Australia are close behind.
- AI users are most likely working at companies with 51 to 500 employees.
- 84% of mid-level employees use AI, making them the group most apt to reach for AI solutions.
- Marketing managers or directors are most likely to be using AI, whereas CEOs and other executives, and individual contributors are slightly less likely to.
- Remote and hybrid work setups produce the most AI users.
- The construction and architecture, technology and IT, and marketing and media industries are most likely to use AI regularly.
No matter how you find yourself using AI, one thing is clear: While AI offers efficiency and inspiration, it’s ultimately human expertise that ensures high-quality, strategic and impactful outcomes. As AI continues to evolve, professionals who embrace it as a complement to their skills can be positioned to navigate the future marketing landscape with confidence and creativity.
Want to learn about the 21% of respondents who don’t use AI and other key findings from our survey? Read the other articles in our AI in Marketing series:
